Submitted

Fri, Sep 30th 2016 05:40 pm

Funds to aid local disaster victims

The spirit of Bono will be felt strongly at Kleinhans on Oct. 21.

The U2 frontman's music will be in the air with the BPO debut of "U2
Symphony Experience," and his philanthropic values will also pervade the
evening. The BPO will donate 5 percent of the ticket sales to the American Red
Cross.

The funds will remain in the Western New York area, aiding victims of
fires. On average, more than once a day, someone in the Western New York area
is affected by a fire. Red Cross volunteers are on the front lines of
assistance, providing temporary housing, food, clothing and support to more
than 1,600 of our neighbors in need last year.

"We are thrilled to partner with a great community organization
like the Buffalo Philharmonic," said Chuck Marra, American Red Cross,
Western and Central New York Chapter executive director. "The music of U2
brings such enjoyment to their fans. This support from the BPO and their fans
will help our volunteers give hope to fellow Western New Yorkers in their time
of need."

The concert serves as the kickoff to the BPO Rocks series, and features
music from all eras of U2's career. "Mysterious Ways,"
"One," Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "MLK/Walk On" are
just a few of the songs on the program. Each of the four members of the group
have more than a decade of experience performing the music of U2 and have
collectively played the music more than 2,000 times in settings ranging from
the symphony hall to "Today."

Shawn Brady, who steps into the role of Bono for the evening, spent
more than 14 years fronting Toronto-based U2 tribute group Elevation.

Stefan Sanders will conduct. The concert will take place at 8 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 21, at Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo.

Subscriptions to BPO Rocks are still available. The series includes:
"The Beatles Classical Mystery Tour" on Nov. 4, "Steve Hackett - Genesis
Revisited" on March 3, "A Tribute to the Music of Prince" on April 28 and "The
Music of Abba featuring Arrival from Sweden" on April 29. For tickets, visit bpo.org or call 716-885-5000.